Spurs Nation: Spurs to retire Bowen’s No. 12

When the Spurs added Bruce Bowen to their roster for the 2001-02 season, it was not because they needed scoring.

Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Steve Smith and a teenage rookie named Tony Parker did plenty of that.

And Bowen?

“People said I couldn’t hit the side of a barn with a beach ball,” he said.

Nevertheless, Bowen started every game he played that season because he was the perimeter defender the Spurs needed to slow the game’s most gifted perimeter players.

Bowen earned the first of eight straight NBA All-Defensive honors that season, and on Monday the Spurs announced another honor for the 6-foot-7 forward from Cal State-Fullerton: He will be the seventh Spurs player to have his jersey number retired.

Bowen’s No. 12 will be lifted to the rafters at the AT&T Center in ceremonies after the team’s March 21 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

For a player with a career scoring average of 6.1 points per game, it is an honor beyond belief.

“Bruce did the same thing night in and night out, whether it was a preseason game or a championship game,” he said. “That’s just who he was. That’s why we want to honor him, because that’s a quality that’s not understood by a lot of athletes these days, that persistent pounding to get to where you want to be.”

While it is clear the Spurs primarily are recognizing Bowen for his defensive excellence, he became a reliable 3-point shooter during his eight seasons in silver and black, especially from the corners. He led the NBA in 3-point accuracy in 2002-03, 44.1 percent.

How many practice 3-pointers did Bowen take in pursuit of an offensive skill that would keep him on the floor?

“I couldn’t tell you,” he said. “I understood my role here was to defend and there were times my offense got me in trouble with Pop. But there were times Pop drew up plays for me and made me feel great.”

Spurs captain Tim Duncan credited Bowen for understanding his role and perfecting it.

First thing first, Congrats to Bruce Bowen. The greatest honor a franchise can give a player. Next the first player to go into HOF as a pure defensive specialist. His acculates and intergrity speak for themselves. Thank you Bruce Bowen you are a class act and so is the FO for appreciating and rewarding him for his services. A player that could have play in any era.